The day after the acting Police Commissioner said no charges would be brought against the doctor or patient involved in the removal of cocaine pellets from a man’s stomach last year, the pressure group, Fixin’ T&T, is calling for the legal advice given to the police to be reviewed. Acting CoP Stephen Williams said the police had been advised by deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Kathy Ann Waterman-Latchoo.
In an open letter to the CoP yesterday, the group wrote “it is at odds with opinions in law of both the late Dana Seetahal, SC, and the United Kingdom-based Medical Protection Society (MPS). Further we seek to ascertain if said advice was verbal or written.” During the weekly police media briefing on Wednesday, Williams said there was no evidence which could be used to prosecute either the surgeon or the patient. This was although interviews were recorded with the doctor, patient, nurses and other hospital personnel.
Fixin’ T&T is also urging the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) to review the investigation by the police. The PCA currently has no director, as its former head, Gillian Lucky, is now a High Court judge. Fixin’ T&T said neither the doctor nor the hospital (both named in the release) had denied allegations that cocaine pellets had been removed during an emergency operation there.